I apologize in advance for the rambling that's sure to happen here. It's kind of late, I'm thinking at this topic from a lot of different angles, and I'm a little backwards with my thought processes. I usually think things out as I write. It helps me to think about things if I can see what I'm thinking as I think it. It's weird - I tend to math better in my head, and think better on paper. There's probably a better word for that in some language, but I'm pretty sure it's not English. And now I'm already rambling, so let's at least get to the point...

I'm new here.

Well, no, that's not exactly right. Let me try that again.

At the end of 2014, I was new here. And then I didn't come her for a little over a year. So, yeah, I'm still kind of new here. I haven't been involved an RP here. I can't say I've really met anyone here, aside from the moderators who greeted me when I joined. I haven't even decided on a picture yet. I feel like that's usually the first thing people do when they join.

So, what's my problem?

Short paragraphs?

No, that's probably not it. Though I can't imagine it's doing me any favors. I have a few different problems, and it's hard to know where to even start.Time is one. I'm currently in school, which takes a ton of that. And when I started, I was in school and still working full time. So the idea that I decided to join at all seems a bit silly, looking back. But time shouldn't really be a reason to not be here, since I already waste a ton of it on things that are no more productive than writing, and I still do quite well in school, so that shouldn't stop me.This site is, like, really big. I suppose I shouldn't state that as a problem, though, since to most people that's a good thing. And honestly, I do think it's great. I think it's amazing how this site does kind of have something for everyone. And despite the fact that it's so big, it seems like a really close-knit community. But I think I'm intimidated by large groups. Especially when I don't know anyone n them. I tend not to hang out in crowds. As a matter of fact, I tend not to hang out with people at all. But that's a totally different problem. I honestly don't consider it a problem either, but I feel like there's some psychology involved in that idea that I'd rather not get into.I love this site, don't get me wrong. To have such a large, welcoming community on the internet is kind of mind-blowing. I still remember how polite, welcoming, and friendly everyone was during the admission process. I don't know if I've ever met such a nice group of people online before. Shortly after I was accepted, though, I started feeling lost. I believe I made a post about feeling like I might have been in the wrong place. And I was very quickly and definitively assured that I was not, in fact, in the wrong place. Because there was a place for everyone here. And while I don't doubt that there is, I seem to be having a bit of trouble finding mine.As I mentioned, this site is huge. I'm sure there's a count somewhere of the active users here, and I'd be curious to know what it is. But I'm sure it's definitely more than I'm used to. The only RP community I've ever been a part of before was about 20-strong at its most active. It was also EXTREMELY informal. People would hop into and out of character whenever they felt like it, or when inspiration struck. Outside of that, it was all just chat. It was very relaxed. This place is great, but in comparison it seems a bit formal. I feel like I'm in the middle of a black-tie event in sweatpants and a t-shirt. And that, again, is likely my own fault. I may be looking in the window at the ball and not realizing that the chill party is just downstairs.That is not to say that formality is bad, mind you. I think it's wonderful. And I would love to go to the ball, eventually. But this RP community that I was part of before ended about 7 years ago, so I'm a bit out of practice. Not just with RP, but with writing in general. Until this past spring, I hadn't written anything creatively since I left college the first time, which was back in 2010. I did have a creative writing class this past year, though, and it was nice. Though satire was the only thing I can actually say that I did legitimately well, I did write two stories - one of which was actually fantasy, with no comedy attached - that I reread recently and didn't want to immediately vomit. So that's a pretty good sign, I guess. However, collaborative writing is a very different skill than individual writing, so I'm pretty sure it doesn't translate directly.I'm not really sure what I want. I think that's always been a problem of mine, and it's really not doing me any favors here. One suggestion I got my first time around this rodeo was that the best way to find the kind of things that you're looking for is to broadcast it. I was told to add interests and preferences and turn-ons and turn-offs and whosits and whatsits galore. And holy damn, there were a lot of them. I didn't, however, see an option for "interactive storytelling with friends." Because beyond that, there really isn't anything more specific that I'm looking for. Overt sexuality makes me kind of uncomfortable. (Probably another psychological issue. When I have money, a therapist might be a good investment.) Because of that, I'm not really looking for sexual RP. That being said, however, it was kind of an important part of the RP community I was in before. I don't know, maybe I used to be a more sexual person. Or maybe I still am, and I just need to be more comfortable first. I don't know. I really have no idea what I'm looking to do here.No, that's not true either. I know exactly why I joined this site in the first place. I missed my characters. There weren't a lot. But they meant something to me. I felt like they had more stories to tell. More growing to do. Hell, if nothing else, I really liked their names. Couldn't just flush those down the toilet, could I? But I feel like I'm upping the difficulty level for myself with that. Like, rather than looking to develop something with other people here, all I'm hoping to do is hop into some RP with some characters I've already made, backstories that have already been established, and agendas that nobody really cares about because they're way too specific to something that no longer exists. And that doesn't help me very much. I could make more characters, sure. But then that defeats the initial purpose. It's a conundrum.

Jesus Christ, Danny, are you done yet?

Probably.

I don't know, did this have a purpose? Did anyone make it through it all? God, I hope not. If so, I sincerely apologize for wasting your time. And for any spelling/grammar errors. It's very late, and I didn't stop much. I think I started this with the intent of asking someone for advise, but with what, I have no idea. Probably everything. I honestly have no clue if this is even the right forum for this, but I wouldn't even know how to go about finding the right one if it isn't. There probably isn't one. I probably should chuck it, but I've kind of put a lot of time into it, and if I do that then I've wasted all of it. Should I add a warning to this? WARNING: Not for the easily bored. Is that a thing I can even do? I'm really newbing hard in this place. Newbing around. Newbing about town. That's a good title for this post. Or a horrible one, but I wouldn't know. I feel like The Mask, somebody stop me.

Elliquiy is a pretty massive place and due to that can be a bit overwhelming at first. There are currently 126 members and just over 100 guests on the forum right now and considering it's 10:20 GMT, that's a time period where you wouldn't expect people from North America... E's largest user base... to be particularly active. With so many people, so many sub-forums and so many posts it can all be a bit crazy... and truth be told it would be if you try to do everything all the time.

But to use a probably too formal sounding term, you compartmentalize.

To speak from personal experience, I'm obviously active with my games. Beyond that I'm a regular poster in the politics sub-forum, fairly active in the Literary discussion sections, occasionally pop up in Off and On-topic and post in the Lord's Only board when something I think I can add insight too comes up. Outside of that I have almost no presence. While I posted there a lot years back I hardly ever even look into the Forum Games/Socializing forum, I'm not particularly active in either the Good and the Cuddly or the Bad and the Ugly boards unless something there directly relates to someone I write with, I don't really use the Adult Socializing board and outside of my own art thread I do very little in the Art, Media and Music boards.

So in essence, I've made E a lot smaller for me.

I check my stories and of course I'm active in them. I'll read pretty much everything that appears in the politics sub-forum, but that moves fairly slowly. I'll browse over Off-topic, On-topic and Lord's Only to see if a thread catches my eye and read it. And when I have something to post in my art thread I'll check that out. Outside of that? Well, it's almost like the rest doesn't exist (although I'm glad it does). That's breaking down E to manageable chunks and what are in effect smaller sub-communities (without being cliques).

A piece of advice that is often given when people are first starting and want help getting more stories is to be active in the various discussion/socializing forums and build relationships that way. I'd say that's good advice in general and certainly well intentioned but I think there's also a downside to it. The first is a selection bias in the people who respond; because people who are asking for advice normally post in the discussion/socializing forums then the people who answer are going to be those who are active in the discussion/socializing forums already and as such they're always going to be more likely to suggest that as a way in. But there are a large number of people on E who rarely if ever post outside their game threads. I write with several. They're not unfriendly or shy or stand-offish... they're wonderful, charming people when I chat to them in PM's or in the OOC threads for the games they're involved with... they're just not interested in the sort of discussion that goes on in those forums or, at the very least, aren't interested in it on E. They're here to write stories. The second is that if someone has been told the best way forward is to be active in the various discussion/socializing forums and they see quite how many there are it can, to repeat an earlier point, be overwhelming. Dozens of fast-moving threads to do posts for in both Forum Games/Socializing and Adult Socializing, just as many "casual roleplay" threads in them and the Red Light District, more detailed posts in Politics and Elliquiy U, the fast moving Shoutbox etc etc. But you don't need to do all that. You can if you want, and it won't hurt... but don't feel like you're forced too. Pick out things that interest you and go from there. As mentioned above, some people simply don't post at all in those sections and still have a great time on E.

So, that said, some possibly practical advice that you might find helpful:

1) Group Games

When I first came to E (and while that was a long time ago E was still a massive community then), getting involved in a group game right off the bat really helped. It gives you another sub-community with the other players and the chance to get to know them in the socializing thread, it meant I got to work with a lot of other writers right off the bat and, noting that you're not particularly interested in predominantly sexual rp, there tends to be less of that in group games.

2) Do a character focused request thread

People write on E for all types of reasons and to tell different types of stories but considering the nature of E it's understandable that a lot of these are based around the certain sexual kinks that a writer has. But they don't have to be. While the typical request thread on E is focused more on the plot setup and the kinks involved one could also do one that focuses on the characters you want to play. For someone in your position where you have characters you want to use but are less interested in the sexual side of things or in any set plot/setting it seems a good way to try and get some interest. Put the characters out there and see if they spark anyone's imagination.

3) Try the "casual roleplay" boards/threads.

I don't use them myself so take this advice with a grain of salt and I can't comment on the culture there but if you're interested in simply popping "in character" for a quick, less formal roleplay session then there are areas you can do that without having to do request threads and the like. There are lots in Adult Socializing and more sexual ones in the Hot Box. As I say, I don't take part myself so can't comment on certain specifics with regards to the threads there, but it may well be worth a look.

4) Don't worry about your writing.

Outside of the basic requirements of being able to write passable English there is no gatekeeping when it comes to writing on E and we have writers of varying levels. In fact calling it "levels" is probably unfair because a lot of it is simply down to what people want out of their writing here. I might be happy with spending a week writing a 5,000+ word post and be more than willing to have partners who take just as long, if not longer, to do the same but there are others here who would be bored out of their mind and lose all interest if forced to wait that long and instead want quick, snappy stories where each post is around a paragraph at most and there are a dozen replies each day. Likewise there are some who fall in the middle. No-one here will judge you on how good/bad a writer you think you are (and a key point here is "think" you are; on E people always tend to understate their own quality in comparison to others).

Fuddle around a bit until you find somewhere that's comfy. Being too concerned about it can easily be overwhelming, especially at first, but I found it best to approach it like any other online community. (Except this one has a bit more class, ya see. )

I think consortium has hit the nail on the head--Elliquiy is massive, but it's a rarity that any one person participates in everything the site has to offer. Think about what you'd like most, and narrow your focus accordingly. I also want to second consortium's comment about not worrying about your writing. Elliquiy has all sorts, and you shouldn't worry about being 'good.' Just try to focus on what's fun for you to write and what you would most enjoy. That's what I do for the most part. Sure, I like to push myself to be better, but at the end of the day, if I'm having fun, I'm pretty sure I'm doing it right.

In addition, if you need any help or have questions, my inbox is open if you need it.

Alright, well I'm going to try to make some progress. Baby steps, perhaps. I finally picked an avatar! That's something, right?

Though that does bring me to another issue: art etiquette. So, clearly, I didn't draw this. Lack of talent and all that. I did credit the artist in my signature, but is that enough? I mean, should I contact the artist and ask permission to use it? I visited his site but couldn't really find a way to do that. And I don't know if that would seem really... weird, anyways. I mean I'm not that worried about embarrassing myself, but is something like that necessary?